Skip advert
Advertisement

Concept cars - the Alfa Romeo Kamal

With a new Alfa Romeo SUV on the way, we take a look at the Italian maker's last attempt

2016 could be the year that Alfa Romeo officially unveils a production SUV. At the upcoming Paris motor show, the Italian firm is expected to display the Stelvio - a crossover model using the highly competent underpinnings of the latest Alfa Romeo Giulia saloon. It would not, however, be the first time Alfa has previewed such a model.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Back in 2003, Alfa Romeo’s model range looked a great deal healthier than it does today. Its competitor in the C-segment was the pretty 147, and the even prettier 156 gave Alfa a BMW 3-series fighter, albeit one nearing the end of its life. The GTV and Spider were also old but still looked stunning (despite a botox-like facelift that year), the 166 was all the better for a nip-tuck to remove its squint, and the stylish 156-based GT had just made its debut.

While no model was class-leading, every model was better than what Alfa had offered for the past two or more decades and both the 147 and 156 were selling in respectable numbers.

The one thing the Alfa range lacked, at least in economic terms, was an SUV. The crossover market was already gathering pace in 2003 and it was quickly becoming apparent that traditional saloons like the 156 and 166 were waning in popularity.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Advertisement - Article continues below

What better time then to unveil a car that combined the characteristics buyers were warming to - a high driving position and confident all-weather ability - to the maker’s undoubted knack for churning out an attractive car?

The Kamal - a word that means ‘perfection’ and ‘beauty’ in some Middle Eastern dialects and has references to the colour red in Sanskrit - was the fruits of that labour. And while the concept shocked - in 2003, Porsche was still under fire from purists for the Cayenne - the execution looked on-the-money.

Advertisement - Article continues below

It had the all-important ‘Busso’ V6 for a start, 3.2 litres in capacity (like the 147 and 156 GTA models) and tuned to 250bhp, with power sent to all four wheels through a Torsen differential. Who knows what kind of horrendous economy such a combination might have achieved, but the sound would have been wonderful, and thankfully Alfa hasn’t entirely abandoned the concept of a multi-cylinder crossover - the Stelvio is expected to use six-pot petrol and diesel units.

Other aspects of the Kamal’s engineering matched contemporary Alfas like the 156. The suspension was double wishbone both front and rear, a fully independent design that allows careful control of wheel geometry and is therefore ideal for fine-tuning the handling.

Yet at 4350mm long, it was shorter than a 156 and at 1620mm high, it would sit slightly below something like a Mercedes-Benz GLC today. The production Stelvio will surely be larger than the Kamal, echoing the industry trend, but it makes the concept seem pleasingly compact.

Whether Alfa Romeo had at that time the capabilities to create a competitive crossover is open to debate. Contemporary Alfas were often well-received at launch but rarely had staying power next to ever-improving rivals. Would the Kamal have had persistent appeal? And would 2003 consumers have accepted a high-rise Alfa as they might today?

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

The 717bhp Aston Martin DBX S is the start of a new Porsche-fighting era
Aston Martin DBX S – front
News

The 717bhp Aston Martin DBX S is the start of a new Porsche-fighting era

The beginning of a big derivative push throughout the Aston Martin range, the DBX S adds extra attitude and performance to Aston’s super SUV
29 Apr 2025
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale 2025 review – a rare Italian jewel beyond compare
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale front
Reviews

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale 2025 review – a rare Italian jewel beyond compare

What’s Alfa Romeo’s near-£2m hand-built supercar like to drive? We find out, on the Balocco test track
29 Apr 2025
Land Rover Defender V8 Soft Top could be an Octa from 25 years ago
Land Rover Defender V8 Soft Top
News

Land Rover Defender V8 Soft Top could be an Octa from 25 years ago

The latest six-figure classic Defender in the works bespoke lineup is a convertible, for maximum access to that rumbling V8
25 Apr 2025
2026 Lamborghini Urus Performante will fight the Ferrari Purosangue and Aston DBX707
2026 Lamborghini Urus Performante rear
News

2026 Lamborghini Urus Performante will fight the Ferrari Purosangue and Aston DBX707

Lamborghini is already testing a more sporting derivation of its newly-hybridised Urus super SUV
15 Apr 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Ford Focus ST (Mk3) – the car world's greatest misses
Ford Focus ST Mk3
Features

Ford Focus ST (Mk3) – the car world's greatest misses

We’d hoped the 2015 Focus ST would share a good dose of its little brother’s magic. Sadly, it didn’t
28 Apr 2025
The Ferrari 296 Speciale has arrived, and it could be the most thrilling Ferrari ever
Ferrari 296 Speciale – front
News

The Ferrari 296 Speciale has arrived, and it could be the most thrilling Ferrari ever

The 296 Speciale is the latest in Ferrari's line of mid-engined road racers, packing 868bhp and LaFerrari-beating pace on track
29 Apr 2025
Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RS 2025 review – the ultimate Nürburgring toy
Porsche 911 GT3 RS Manthey front
Reviews

Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RS 2025 review – the ultimate Nürburgring toy

Did the 992 GT3 RS need to be made more extreme? Posssibly not. We're glad Manthey Racing has done it, though.
28 Apr 2025